Dharavi – Mumbai The division line could not be any clearer; the smell of incense hit us as if we were crossing a threshold. More obvious signs of Hindu identity became quickly clearer; swastikas and a mandir (temple) all came into view as we turned the corner out of the dark and narrow streets from…Continue Reading Disunity and Unity
Sensory Overload I can starkly remember the moment I walked out of the airport. It was a sensory overload. The heat of Vietnam hit me like a concrete wall. I felt like a rotisserie chicken under the heat lamp, and sweat poured from my body like never before. *Honk* “Water, Madam” *Honk* “Sim card” *Honk* …Continue Reading Sensational Saigon
Week three: León After kicking off the new week in this new city with our lectures, we kicked off in a little football match organised for us on campus. Given that no one realllly played football already, the game was a bit of a mess. We were playing 9ish a side on a very, very…Continue Reading Tercera Semana – León
It has been three weeks in Vietnam & I can wholeheartedly say that I wake up eager to explore every single day. I am working as an Intern at NFQ, a global tech company, and the humbleness, hospitality, and genuine kindness amongst all employees have made it a breeze to settle in. In the first…Continue Reading Vietnam, you are already un”Phở”gettable
Monday 26 December–Sunday 1 January Visiting a tea house NCKU organised a trip to a picturesque tea house in Anping for us. The owner showed us the traditional method of serving tea to guests. The ritual welcomes a guest to your home and allows each participant to demonstrate their urbanity or lack thereof, as in…Continue Reading Taiwan: Week three
Kia ora whānau, My apologies for the late post; this trip has been incredibly busy! My experience under the 360 programme in Taiwan has been and continues to be jam-packed full of culture, study, and new experiences. It is hard to believe that it is nearly over! As it has been a while since my…Continue Reading Taiwan update：20th January 2023
Monday 2 January–Sunday 8 January Seal cutting NCKU organised an expert to show us to cut a traditional seal. Seal cutting is an ancient art first practised in China over three thousand years ago. We learnt how emperors and public officials commissioned artisans to carve intricate characters onto bone, bronze, pottery and stone. Leaders would…Continue Reading Taiwan: Week four
Monday 9 January–Sunday 15 January Boys’ picnic at Chimei Museum Park This week was a busy time in class, with many tests to complete. But the three guys on the trip, Charlie, Fin and I, managed to find time to get together with our language partners, Jerry, Craig and Sky, respectively, for a boys’ picnic….Continue Reading Taiwan: Week five
Kia ora whānau, This blog post comes to you from the plane ride home to New Zealand. While I am happy to be seeing my family and friends soon, I long for the next opportunity to travel aboard again. I enjoyed being immersed in a new culture that provided me with new ways of looking…Continue Reading Saying Goodbye to Taiwan
Well, we’re well into this 8-week adventure, and safe to say, it’s been nothing short of one. I’ve been fortunate to visit a couple of other towns/islands, but the majority of my time has been spent in the capital of Thailand, Bangkok. There is truly so much to talk about when it comes to this…Continue Reading What’s new?